Geoff Reacher
Two Shows!
originally published April 23, 2008
Geoff Reacher
When Geoff Reacher moved to his home state of Texas two years ago, Athens lost one of its more idiosyncratic performers. Reacher’s music is its own thing, a fizzy confabulation achieved by finding the common ground (or making it, if none’s to be found) between acoustic country laments, Deep South hip-hop beats, precision-tuned finger-picked guitar and freaky looped electronics. Imagine Beck, Bun B, Waylon Jennings and Dave Van Ronk all jamming together in one dude’s head. Reacher’s back in Athens for two shows this weekend. “Things are pretty good in Austin,” he says. “I'm holding down the day job, playing locally, traveling for shows on weekends whenever possible.”
Reacher says his style has evolved a bit since he last hit town. “[I’ve been] trying to tighten up my beats, hit more notes when I sing, nail the guitar parts, but also give myself more improvisational options” says Reacher, who’s at work on new songs, but says a new album won’t be out until this time next year. "One big change is that now I sit down when I play - which is something I resisted for a long time. But it does let me make more intricate use of my foot pedals without losing my balance!”
Two upcoming shows will allow Reacher to indulge both the folk and hip-hop tendencies for which he’s always shown both equal and enthusiastic interest. First, is a headlining gig at Flicker on Thursday, Apr. 24, with Orange Twin Records labelmate Madeline. Second, is a late-night, outdoor show on Saturday, Apr. 26 at downtown restaurant Farm 255, accompanied by Ishues and Deaf Judges. DJ Mahogany wraps up that night's music.
Bad Dudes
w/ Cinemechanica, Ho-Ag, and Mouser
Friday, April 25 @ The Caledonia Lounge
originally published April 23, 2008
Cari Veach
Bad Dudes
It's not immediately clear how to interpret the title of Bad Dudes' new album, Eat Drugs. It could be read as a complete sentence, i.e. "Bad Dudes eat drugs." Listening to their music, a wildly spastic synth-punk blend, then the drug use wouldn't really be a surprise. Alternatively, the title could be read as a direct command to their audience. However, the title track, with its Ramones-esque chanted chorus of "I wanna eat drugs" says it all. Verdict: drugs.
Moving onto more highbrow topics, a label called Retard Disco will be releasing the L.A. band's new record. Some members of Bad Dudes were once in the weirdo-rock outfit Miracle Chosuke, and if you're familiar with the earlier project's synth lines and blistering guitar lines, you'll eat up Bad Dudes as well. It seems like all the best music coming out in 2008 is touched by the twisted hand of psychedelia, and Bad Dudes are a notable beneficiary of this wave of weirdness. Between math-rock instrumentals and neo-futuristic punk, the band's endless experimentation is always high energy and engaging. In addition to questionable recreational activities, it's also highly likely that these dudes were inspired by Nintendo - as the squeaks and beeps of the gaming system tend to punctuate many of their tunes.
People are calling Los Angeles "the new Baltimore" these days (or maybe I totally made that up?) and Bad Dudes rep their crowd with some great twist-and-twitch post-punk. The phrase "party-prog" has been thrown around in reference to the band, and that's pretty apt. In other words, cancel your subscription to World of Warcraft and head out to the Caledonia Lounge on Apr. 25. In a show presented by local label Hello Sir, kindred spirits Ho-Ag will join Bad Dudes in addition to local heroes Cinemechanica and Mouser.
Royal Bangs
w/ Je Suis France & The Buddy System
Saturday, April 26 @ 40 Watt Club
originally published April 23, 2008
Royal Bangs
At the intersection of quantum physics and irony, you’ll discover that there is no such thing as a coincidence. Thus, it was less than shocking to hear Royal Bangs vocalist Ryan Schaefer declare in an affected wail, “We don’t know shit about cars!” just as a mechanic advised that I had been bamboozled by a Broad Street car-care establishment. Of course I would have the track “Japanese Cars,” from the Knoxville-based band’s forthcoming album We Breed Champions on at that very moment. (The shop will remain nameless, but it rests quite close to the former home of a certain BBQ joint immortalized in song by R.E.M.)
Cloud Cult, Modest Mouse and Architecture in Helsinki will provide you with the "recommended if you like" frame of reference you’ll need to decide if arriving early enough to catch Twilight Delirium's opening act is in your best interest. But if it’s the opinion of a tastemaker you desire, then consider this: Patrick Carney, that giant drummer that lambasts his kit with aplomb in the acerbic blues duo Black Keys, runs Audio Eagle, the label Royal Bangs call home, and they’re the first band based beyond the borders of Ohio to receive an invite. The label’s "It’s Boss Tight" catchphrase certainly applies here. So how did Carney get turned on to the band? Drummer Chris Rusk admits, “It’s kinda’ funny and lame. We sent the label a MySpace friend request, and for some reason he looked at it and listened to us… pure luck.”
The only question left unanswered was more difficult for Rusk to field: Why is it so hard for University of Tennessee fans to agree on a single shade of orange? “Maybe there’s a lot of conflict within themselves, what kind or what level of fan they are. Truth is, [the guys in Royal Bangs] are not very manly. We don’t know shit about cars, or UT football.”
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